6 Nashville Art Crawls to Check Out This Month

For 22 years, the First Saturday Art Crawl has given locals a reason to head downtown on a Saturday night. And today, a handful of art crawls continue to attract Nashvillians to the many hubs of the city’s art scene. From Fort Houston to Jefferson Street, a creative class is enjoying Nashville’s upward cultural trajectory by showcasing the city’s talents.

The first weekend of the month remains the largest for crawls, but there is an opportunity to enjoy art every weekend. Culturati converse while moving from gallery to gallery, discussing art and much more during Nashville’s monthly crawls. Artfully executed, these events blur the lines of art and entertainment while offering a glimpse into Nashville’s neighborhoods.

As the weather gets warmer, it’s the perfect time to get out and explore the energy tied to this creative side of Nashville. Learn about six community art crawls you should check out this month!

During Arts & Music City at Wedgewood/Houston, guests mingle while perusing the featured art. Image: Drew Maynard

When: First Saturday of the month;Neighborhood: Wedgewood/HoustonCost: FreeParticipating galleries: See full list here.

“We see this art crawl as part of the bigger picture of Nashville as an art city,” Anna Zeitlin of Zeitgeist Gallery explains. “This neighborhood is traditionally home to more artist-run studios, making it a little funkier of an art crawl.” The crawl started in 2014 when a few galleries teamed up to showcase the neighborhood’s art scene, which has been brewing for decades.

“Start at the beginning,” Anna suggests. “At the core, the crawl is walkable. Follow the map through this area, then get in your car to visit the other spots before hopping over to Downtown’s art crawl. Along the way, you will be exposed to artists working at different levels — locals starting out and people like Simon Roberts, who has shown in museums.” Anna also reminds us that the event is family-friendly. “As long as kids are respectful, we don’t mind having children’s laughter throughout the spaces!”

When: Second Saturday of the monthNeighborhood: East Nashville and InglewoodCost: FreeParticipating galleries: Follow East Side Art Stumble on Facebook for updates.

East Side Art Stumble is a popular East Nashville art crawl. Crawlers can explore the creative talent in this growing Nashville neighborhood by visiting galleries and businesses during the monthly event. “The stumble was started by two former gallery owners in 2015 to galvanize the community around East Nashville’s art galleries,” Katie Shaw, owner of The Red Arrow Gallery, East Nashville’s first contemporary art gallery, tells us. On the second Saturday of each month, the East Side Art Stumble invites you to stumble around the neighborhood to explore everything from new exhibits by local and national artists at The Red Arrow Gallery to works crafted with reused material at Turnip Green’s Green Gallery.

When: First Saturday of the monthNeighborhood: DowntownCost: FreeParticipating galleries: See the list of galleries and shuttle route here.

“First Saturday is the original Art Crawl in Nashville, identifying downtown Nashville as an arts neighborhood: a premier and established visual arts destination,” Lon Bouldin, publicist and an integral player in the art crawl, tells us. The crawl started in 2006, as a way to get locals downtown after 5 p.m. “The only weekend missed since August 2006 was May 2010 — because of the Great Nashville Flood,” Lon shares. Each month, more than 20 galleries open their doors.

“If you want to explore downtown, it is a great way to do so,” Anne Brown, owner of The Arts Company on Fifth Avenue says.

“The city has grown around us,” Anne adds. “People can get together and amble down the street. And the more interest the street offers, the more reason for them to come.” Two insider tips Brown gave us: subscribe to Downtown Details (Downtown Partnership’s weekly newsletter) and 5th Avenue of the Arts Parking (between Church Street and Commerce Street) is the cheapest parking in downtown Nashville.

When: First Friday of the monthNeighborhood: Downtown FranklinCost: FreeParticipating galleries: See the full map here.

Each month, Downtown Franklin Association presents the Franklin Art Scene, which takes you on a tour through downtown Franklin’s historic buildings to showcase the artistic talent flourishing in Williamson County. “The downtown Franklin Art Scene is celebrating its seventh year and welcomes artists of all genres, experience and ages. We have proudly hosted hundreds of artists and are looking forward to continuing to welcome new artists to our town,” Linda Childs, Franklin Art Scene Manager, tells us. More than 25 galleries, merchants and restaurants participate in the Franklin Art Scene. Be sure to stop by the Center for Sustainable Stewardship, a new site on Main Street. Another stop not to miss is O’More College of Design.

On the second Saturday of each month, crawlers are invited to stroll the historic streets of Germantown while seeing the new offerings in the neighborhood. The crawl started in the summer of 2016 thanks to a small group of artists, with Anthony Billups at the helm. The hub of the crawl is 100 Taylor Arts Collective, an artisan studio space and community in the neighborhood. Last month, local businesses Abednego, Wilder, Bits & Pieces, Alexis + Bolt and Little Harpeth Brewery also participated in the crawl. Local is the focus of the Germantown Art Crawl: local art, local artists, local music, local businesses and local beer. We look forward to seeing what they have to offer during this month’s crawl!

“The Jefferson Street Crawl is unique in that it is the only African-American-led art crawl in the city, and 75% of our galleries feature only local artists,” Joseph Bazelais tells us. Joseph was a founding coordinator of the crawl, which started in 2016. Norf Wall Fest brought street art to North Nashville and was the catalyst for the crawl. “There is not a lot of support for African-American artists — outside the month of February. We want to be pioneers for young black artists in our corridor. We wanted to start a crawl that supports the young black artists out of Fisk and TSU.”

Not only is the crawl reviving the heritage of art in the area, it is celebrating businesses in North Nashville. “The crawl is an opportunity to bring art and beauty into the district — not just visual art but music and culinary. There is a lot going on here, and we are happy to be a beacon that attracts people to the neighborhood and encourages them to patronize with cornerstones of the neighborhood,” Joseph tells us. “We highly encourage attendees to patronize and support our artists with their dollars and not just social media likes. A crawl can be an incredible social experience for all who attend, but our artists put a lot of effort into their shows, and nothing says ‘we love your work’ more than an artist selling all of their pieces at a show.”

Get ready to crawl!

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Looking for more monthly events? Check out our list of May Happenings!